CIRTL Courses Open for Registration

As a member institution of CIRTL, UB graduate students and postdocs can sign up for CIRTL Network offerings for free.

Additional information about UB CIRTL is available at http://www.buffalo.edu/ubcirtl.html

CIRTL Network

CIRTL’s spring 2017 cross-Network courses are open for registration now through January 22! All our courses have enrollment caps, so registration does not guarantee admittance. We’ll process registration based on a few factors, including first-come, first-serve, whether you’re from a CIRTL institution, and whether you’re in a STEM/SBE discipline. You’ll need an account on our website to register, and we’ll refer to the institution and discipline  listed in your profile to help determine your registration priority.

Students who register by Monday, December 19 (our early bird deadline) will be notified of their enrollment status by December 21. Students who register after the 19th will be notified of their enrollment status the week of January 23.

Spring 2017 cross-Network Courses

Teaching-as-Research
On Mondays from January 30 to April 3. Weekly online meetings at 11AM-12:30PM ET/10-11:30AM CT/9-11:30AM MT/8-9:30AM PT

Want to develop a Teaching-as-Research (TAR) project and be ready to implement in summer or fall? This course is designed to cover basic concepts, techniques, and procedures of conducting TAR in the undergraduate classroom. Students will develop a full TAR proposal and will be poised to conduct their research in the summer or fall of 2017. Available for 1 optional credit. Open to 30 students.

Developing a Teaching Portfolio
On Tuesday, January 31 and March 21 at 3-5PM ET/2-4PM CT/1-3PM MT/12-2PM PT

Portfolios don’t just help you in the job search, they can help refine and advance your teaching in the classroom, too. In this class students will explore model teaching portfolios, write a personal philosophy of teaching, assemble evidence of their teaching, develop and present their own teaching portfolios, and use peer review rubrics to evaluate their own and peers’ portfolios. Prior teaching experience is helpful, but not required. The majority of this course takes place asynchronously, outside of the two sessions on January 31 and March 21. Available for 1 optional credit. Open to 20 students.

The College Classroom
On Tuesdays from January 31 to April 18. Weekly online meetings at 11AM-12:20PM ET/10-11:20AMCT/9-10:20AM MT/8-9:20AM PT

Students will learn the basics of effective teaching as well as ideas at the forefront of college education, including digital approaches to teaching and learning. Students will explore their teaching philosophy, design a course curriculum, learn how to monitor and investigate the effectiveness of the learning environment, and learn what it means to create an inclusive classroom environment that engages all learners.  Available for 1 optional credit. Open to 30 students.

Diversity in the College Classroom
On Wednesdays from February 1 to March 29. Weekly online meetings at 12-1:30PM ET/11AM-12:30PM CT/10-11:30AM MT/9-10:30AM PT

The course is designed for STEM educators interested in considering diversity issues in college-level teaching. We will explore definitions of diversity, consider ways that instructor and student diversity and implicit biases can influence how we teach and learn, and work together to develop effective techniques and strategies for teaching inclusively. Students will create their own inclusive teaching plan and present it to the class at the end of the semester. Available for 1 optional credit. Open to 32 students.

Basics of Online Learning and Teaching
On Thursday February 2, March 16, and April 6-20 at 1:30-3:00PM ET/12:30-2:00PM CT/11:30AM-1:00PM MT/10:30AM-12:00PM PT

This course is designed to help graduate students and postdocs new to teaching online learn how to design and run an effective course. From February 2 through April 20, students will attend 6 online sessions and, on weeks without sessions, students will complete assignments to help develop their own materials for a sample online course. At the end of the semester, students will present those materials to the class. Available for 1 optional credit. Open to 30 students.

Research Mentor Training
On Thursdays from February 2 to April 20. Weekly online meetings at 3-4:15PM ET/2-3:15PM CT/1-2:15PM MT/12-1:15PM PT

In this seminar-style class, participants will work with a community of peers to develop and improve their mentoring skills. By the end of the seminar, participants should be able to clearly articulate a personal mentoring philosophy to anyone inside or outside their discipline, and describe multiple strategies for dealing with mentoring challenges. Available for 1 optional credit. Open to 25 students.

Service-Learning in STEM Classrooms: Introduction to Pedagogy and Practice 
On Tuesdays from February 7 to March 28. Weekly online meetings at 2-4PM ET/1-3PM CT/12-2PM MT/11AM-1PM PT

Service-learning is a high-impact pedagogy that engages students in applying what they are learning about in their class to a real-world community need or issue, and includes reflective activities to demonstrate and deepen the service and learning connections. This course will introduce best practices, research, and examples of the pedagogy, with a special focus on STEM disciplines. Not available for credit. Open to 20 students.
 
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Job Postings

Teaching and Learning Development Specialist, UC San Diego (Open until filled)

Post-Doctoral Position in Science Education Research, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Post-Doctoral Position, Center for Teaching and Learning, Georgia Tech

Faculty Position, Biology, Michigan State University (Deadline: 1/20/17)

To view job postings, or submit one of your own, join our Academic Careers & Job Postings online community.

Statement on Sanctuary Campuses

SUNY Student Assembly President Marc J. Cohen’s Statement on ‘Sanctuary Campuses’

December 7, 2016 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tyler McNeil, Tyler.Mcneil@sunysa.org

“As President of the Student Assembly, I want to assure students that current SUNY policies and practices prioritize the safety of all students. SUNY prides itself on openness and accessibility – and I will do everything I can to uphold these values.

“The term ‘sanctuary campus’ does not have a uniform definition which makes unconditionally supporting the term difficult and irresponsible. However, if it means ensuring that all of our students – regardless of their citizenship status – are protected under the Fourth Amendment, if it means students can walk around campus without fear of being stopped and asked for proof of citizenship, and if it means not voluntarily offering up the personal information of our students – then I stand fully committed to this principle. I am thankful to learn in a system and state where this is a reality.

“We are aware that there are various petitions circulating across several campuses on this issue. We support and encourage students to make their voices heard. We stand squarely in the corner of students. We also pledge to continue working with SUNY leadership to maintain these ideals as they are the bedrock upon which our system was founded. This is not a border, or a port of entry, or a crime scene; it is a University.”

GSA Officer Elections ~ Call for Candidates

Call for Candidates

On April 10 – 13, 2017 the following offices will be filled through a general election of graduate students at UB:

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

The salaries for each of these positions will be $14,500 and the elected officers must be present and available to serve in the duties of their office from June 1, 2017 until May 31, 2018.

Any student enrolled in a department that is currently represented by GSA and has attended two Senate meeting in the past twelve months prior to becoming a candidate shall be eligible to run for office.  If you have not yet attended any GSA Senate meetings, the remaining dates to fulfill this requirement are December 7, 2016, February 1, 2017, and March 1, 2017.  *PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DECEMBER SENATE MEETING IS TONIGHT AND SIGN-IN STARTS AT 6:00PM!!*

*Please note that international students holding an assistantship will be restricted by INS work requirements and may not be eligible to run for office under United States Law.*

Petitions for candidacy will be made available on Monday, January 30th, 2017 and are due back to the Election Committee Chair by Monday, March 6th 2017 at 4:30pm in the GSA Office (310 Student Union).

All prospective candidates must attend a mandatory meeting with members of the Election Committee where the Election Rules and Regulations will be handed out and reviewed.  Meetings will be arranged between prospective candidates and the Election Committee to occur between Wednesday, March 8th and Wednesday, March 15th, 2017.

Please contact the Election Committee Chair, Alexandra Agostinelli (ajagosti@buffalo.edu) to inquire about the details of the application procedure and formalities.

 

Message from Student Governments Regarding Events following Presidential Election

Dear Students:

The Council of Advocacy and Leadership is an organization consisting of all seven student government Presidents, the Chief Justice of the Student Wide Judiciary, and the UB Council Student Representative at the University at Buffalo. Our purpose is to provide resolutions on key issues at every level of the University hierarchy affecting any and all student governments and their constituencies. Collectively, we represent all 30,000 students at UB.

In light of the recent Presidential election, a series of events have occurred across college campuses, both throughout SUNY and the nation. As the elected representatives of the entire student population, we want to make our message clear: we support equality for ALL. Equality for all students of color, equality for all religious denominations, and equality for all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. We will not tolerate a campus environment that accepts or allows discrimination, much less one that actively promotes hatred, harassment, and an unsafe environment. Every student has the right to free speech, but what we have witnessed goes far beyond that right.

Regardless of your stance on the results of the Presidential election, it is important to recognize and understand the minds of those surrounding you. Some students feel excitement; others feel fear. As students, educators, and future leaders, it is our place to encourage positive discussion and growth that benefits our community. We cannot be complacent in striving for unity in our ever-changing society, particularly in this time of transition.
We commend UB students on their methods of sharing their concerns and the respect shown to their peers. Do not be afraid to speak truth to power and always stand up for what you believe in, for our voices are the tools through which our future is crafted.

Should you have any questions, concerns, or ideas to share, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,
The Council of Leadership and Advocacy

Tanja Aho, President, Graduate Student Association
Connor Arquette, President, Medical School Polity
James Corra, UB Council Student Representative
Nicholas D’Angelo, President, Student Bar Association
Jacob Henning, Chief Justice, Student Wide Judiciary
Jeffrey Morrisey, President, Graduate Management Association
Sara Perrone, President, American Student Dental Association
Matthew Rivera, President, Undergraduate Student Association
Taylor White, President, School of Pharmacy Student Association

Free GSA Editorial Services

Dear fellow graduate students:

Paper deadline coming up? Wishing you had an extra pair of eyes to look over your work?

The Graduate Student Association (GSA)’s editing assistance program is currently accepting submissions for all fee-paying graduate students at all stages of their degree. Graduate students with materials ready for submission or presentation receive constructive feedback from advanced English graduate student editors, ranging from sentence-level to minor content-oriented questions. Further, projects that undergo editing, whether large or small, benefit from readers outside of the field of study: submission can include MA and PhD thesis/dissertation submission (individual chapters and completed projects), journal articles for scientific and humanities papers, academic job application materials, seminar papers, and response papers.

Submissions can be either paper or electronic (Microsoft Word files). To submit, please visit the GSA website for the submission website and provide a note on your deadlines: http://gsa.buffalo.edu. The service is attentive to the need for privacy that comes along with larger projects. Though we ask students to allow for a 2-3 week turn-around for edits, we typically can return papers within specially requested time frames.

Questions? Editors can be reached gsa-editorial@buffalo.edu.

Best,

GSA Editorial Services

 

Message from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

A Message from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Dear Students:

After the harsh and ugly rhetoric of the campaign, many of you are concerned about what might happen next.

Let me be clear: This is the State of New York, not a state of fear. We will not tolerate hate or racism.

We have been and always will be a place where people of many backgrounds have come to seek freedom and opportunity. Almost all who live here can trace their roots to someplace else.

We cherish our diversity. We find strength in our differences. Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Buddhist, rich or poor, black or white or Latino or Asian, man or woman, cisgender or transgender, we respect all people in the State of New York.

The Statue of Liberty is a proud symbol of American values, and she stands in our harbor. We feel a special responsibility to make her offer of refuge and hope a reality every day.

As long as you are here, you are New Yorkers. You are members of our community, and we will stand up for you.

The State of New York has strict laws against hate crimes and discrimination and we fully and firmly enforce them. It is illegal in this state to target, harass or discriminate against a person because of his or her race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation. We are a tolerant people, and cannot and will not let our freedoms be undermined.

New York State has a toll-free hotline where people can report incidents of bias and discrimination. Our responsibility is to protect all who are here, whether native-born or immigrant, whether documented or not. The hotline strengthens our efforts. Contacting us will not affect your immigration status.

New Yorkers who have experienced bias or discrimination should call the toll-free hotline at (888) 392-3644 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.

If you want to report a crime or fear for your safety, call 911 immediately.

New Yorkers feel a particular affection for young immigrants. For centuries, our state has thrived on the energy and ambition of the young people seeking to build their lives here. Your intelligence, your creativity, your idealism enriches us all. You are welcome here.
Sincerely,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo